Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-17
A LOST CAR.
An Entertaining Railroad Fabrtca-
tion But Altogether too Loosely
Woven Together-Bin Ackley's
Grant Truth

tion But Altogether too Loosely
Woven Together-BiIl Aekley's
Great Truth.
Some able BODIED liar, who fails to ap-
pend the journal upon which his talents
are gradually developing, has sent this
waif of veracious recital laundering down
the corridors of time and possible eter>
nifty:
About two months ago an east>bound |
freight train over the Union Pacific broke
in two near Laramie City, Col, while
going down hill in the night time. The
front half, going around a curve, whip
ped off the rear car, which went rolling
down steep embankment. The car was
filled with choice silks, and yet its de.
parture from the rear end was so clean
and unattended oy any unusual shock
that train men did not notice 1t. They
coupled up again and went on to Chey-
enne, where the loss was discovered.
Since that time search has been made for
the car along the whole line, but TO no
avail. Last week cowboy found car
lying behind big pile of rocks and GOV
cred with bushes down deep draw. He
CHANGED to be going TO the nearest station
and casually asked the agent why the
company didn't clear up that wreck.
The agent accompanied him back and
discovered that it was the missing car.
Aside from being broken in at the sides
slightly the car was not damagedtyzSd
its valuable contents were found intact.
That ''rear car statement may be all
right and pass for correct among the un>
initiated, but to those who have ''cooned
the deck" and fired the "brown cars
down the banks it won't go; no. not by
large majority. The rear car on a
freight train, If we mistake not, is always
the way car, and as strict time card rules
compel either the conductor or rear
brakeman to be on the car when in mo-
ton, it could not get lost without losing
one or both these valued employees.
The extract copied above was shown
the well known c., R. l. & P passenger
conductor between Atlantic and Rock
Island. by Des Moines reporter the other
day:
al hope you'll pick the wind out of
that bold but translucent prevsrication,
remarked Conductor Ackley. "a man
who follows the rail" said Bill, "had
ought to cOnfine himself to solid blocks
of affidavit veracity. because there's no
KNOWN how soon his chunk will go out
in an accident I'm always thinkin' of
that when spin yarn. That story re-
minds me, however, of very similar
experience once had between Brooklyn
and Des Moines. This was several
moons ago, and my memory may be q
little rusty as to details. but the
outlines easily recall to mind
Leaving Brooklyn l had eighteen
cars. l counted EN- and then checked
EN- off in rotation, commencing at the
engine and going back TO the way car.
had the number of each car and there wa
eighteen of them, besides l had the samt
number of bills They were through
loads and we didn't have switch tt
make. I'd been on the road so long
was personally acquainted with every ca
in the train and could call 'em by mum
bers and the'd roll up the track and ed
out of my hand unless they were loaded
with liquor, then they were littl'
cranky sometimes. Well, started gu
with that train, and when got to De'
Moines and pulled in on No. track, th,
yard checkman says: Bill, where's No
1926, loaded with beer, billed from Rocl
Island to Des Moines?' | looked at m,
train book, cast my lamp on the bill, an,
remarked seornful-like: That car is ex
actly in the middle of the train No,
amt says the car checker, and YOU
get thirty days in the sweat box with tn
muzzle on, for takin' bill without tn,
car Well, | went back and locke
over the train, and that car was gone
knew We hadn't made switch on tn
trip, and where that car had gone was
mystery | couldn't solve. Well, sill
were do you s'pose | found it2 This
d showdown and the solid truth 1t wa
discovered By the crew of No. Lying in
ravine on the hill east of Newton, heel
in the air and snoring like mogul on
twentY-three degree curve, up grade,
had broken the link on the rear end an
the draft iron aft and tumbled down th
bank without a jar. The detached RET
end of the train caught up with the fol
) ward part while going down grade an
coupled up, and not a single Georf
, Washington in the way car or on the en-
CINE knew anything of it. You see or
of the cases of beer had broken and h
out about a barrel of the beverage.
course this was absorbed by the foo
, and in few minutes thereafter old IA
2l6 began to wabble on her legs and g
ing down the grade she lost her balant
and hoped off the track TO rest. No,
i, haven't got one of them cards that say
( I'm something of a lii All aboard
and Ackley swung gracefully to the re
I platform of vanishing car and fads
? from view toward Rock Island, leavir
: curious reporter rooted in his tracks.
: For 25 years l have been afflicted wi
t catarrh so that | have been confined I
nv room for two months at a time
2 ! L ..:5 Ill hs,,ssi...sxS In ksssssss